Notes from Ohio

We're in Ohio for the holidays.

I'm nursing a small hangover and Nick is still in bed. I can hear his alarm going off on his cell phone, but he keeps hitting snooze. Poor kid, we were out late last night.

Let's back up a bit to explain.

We arrived via Cheapbus (aka SKYbus) on Friday, December 21 and headed straight up to Massillon where we spent a few days with my family. We enjoyed great presents, tasty food, and late holiday shopping until Christmas morning when we headed off to Russia to say with Nick's family for a few days. More great presents, more tasty food, and lots of family gatherings and sporting events greeted us in western Ohio. We arrived Christmas morning and stayed until yesterday, 12/28.

We headed to Cincinnati last night to see our friends who have expanded their families and friends we miss. It's difficult being back in some ways. On one hand, it's so wonderful to see everyone again and then it's so hard to realize how much you are missing by being away.

Everywhere Nick and I go, the proverbial question, "How's Boston?" comes up. It's a natural question - we just transitioned and it's a completely different way of living than the Midwest. But, we can't really say how it's going because it's complicated. Here's what we're both thinking when this question comes up, but we're both not going to say it because we're too long-winded:

What Pains Us
Separation from family and friends
Easy living in OHIO
Open roads in OHIO
Decent prices in OHIO
Kinder folks in OHIO
Life going on without us

What Challenges Us
How to start a family without family here
Boston's pace of life
Bo$ton is expensivo
Adjusting to a different schedule and making time for each other

What We Love About Beantown
Our location
Being young without children in a terrific city
Effortless inclusion in the most exciting events the city offers
Living in a 2 bedroom highrise apartment without rent
Ocean is close by
Culture
Diversity
Boston is the educational GEM of the world - no other city explodes with academia like this

While the last list has more items that the other two, it still doesn't compare to the warm comfort of being with our loved ones. It's been a wonderful visit home so far and Cincinnati hasn't changed a bit. We're reveling in the laughter of friends right now, but we're also excited to continue making a home on the east coast, however hard that might be.

But, it's getting easier.

So, last night we saw good friends and went to two gatherings. We were out till about 3am, didn't get home till about 3:30am and then Nick woke up at 7:30am to take his brother Keith to the airport. OUCH. I was snoring face down on the couch when they left and was too disoriented to even lock the freaking door.

And so Nick is on his third snooze of the morning and I should go try to punch him in the arm to wake him up because we're meeting friends for lunch downtown. He just wandered out and his eyes are so bloodshot, he looks like the devil. I laugh in his face. OUCH, that hurt my head. I hate hangovers.

2008 is going to be phenomenal.

Guess What Day These Pictures Are From

In Sequential Order:

(Nick is pacing)  "AREN'T YOU PUMPED?"

(I'm playing with my camera) "INCREDIBLY PUMPED."

The following pictures are not posed.  They're live action shots of Nick reacting in our living room.

Guess What Day These Pictures Are From

In Sequential Order:

FLYING OUT OF HIS CHAIR DURING A BEANIE WELLS MOMENT

Guess What Day These Pictures Are From

In Sequential Order:

RESTLESS SQUATTING IN FRONT OF THE CHAIR

Guess What Day These Pictures Are From

In Sequential Order:

TEXTING HIS OPINION TO EITHER KEITH OR JAY

Winter Arrives

While there are 12 days until Christmas, you wouldn't know it in our lives because school and work has consumed our lives.  Nick had his last day of class today and instead of celebrating, he is a hermit trying to finish 3 25pg papers.  That leaves me to find my own entertainment.

My job's been keeping me pretty busy so I haven't had much time to be lonely this week.  We fly out next Friday.

As we speak, we are getting plummeted by our first snow storm.  The roads are killer and traffic is a nightmare.  Luckily, I am three floors away from my job and Nick's commuting is done until next semester.  While I can gripe for hours about the pains of my job, for days like today, it's wonderful to have a live-in position where I don't have to battle the roads.

Our apartment yields pretty park views as it blankets itself in white and our holiday decorations are out.  So while we're too busy to shop, we're definitely surrounding ourselves in the Advent season.

We can't wait to come home for the holidays.